Internal-combustion engine.



W. NICHOL.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 27. 1919.

l ,$323,785. Patented Dec. 2, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.V

Inventor @Mom m W. NICHOL.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.21.1919.

1,323,785. Patented Dee. 2,1919.

.Z- 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- s. N N N N N www 7W N 2K5/fiala /Vlfol abtoznm WILLIAM NICHGL, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

i' To all whom t may concern: Y

Be it known that I, WiLLiAM Nicrioi., al

and exact description ofthe saine, such as will enable others skilled inthe `art to which it pertains to makeL and use the saine, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which forni a part of this specification.

- This invention relates to internal combusrtion engines, and its object is to provide a unique construction by means of which the reciprocal motion of the pistons in the cylinders is transformed into rotary motion. More particularly the object of the invention is to provide a series of cylinders positioned in spaced relation circumferentially `about a rotatable element which may serve in'which the pistons are intermittently' con-V nected with the rotating element and being supplied with an explosive charge by an, inJecting device individual to each cylinder.

'These various objects and the several novel features ofY the invention are hereinafter more fully pointed-out and claimed `and the f preferred forni of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which-l Figure 1 is a side elevation of" iny iinproved internal combustion engine.

Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2 2 of Fig. l.

Fig 3 is a detail showing the vrinterior of.

one of the cylinders and mode of yconnection of a piston therein with the rotating ele-l ment. A

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section taken on line 4-4 ofFig. 3.

Fig 2. 1

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section taken on line G-of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a detail of a valve and' operating Specication of Letters Patent.

Fig. 54 is a section of one of the chargey forming cylinders taken 'on line 57-0 of Patented nec. 2,1919.

Application led February 27,' 1919. Serial No. 279,522.

rod Vutilized between a pinnp ycylinder and the explosionchamber of one ofthe cylinders.

Fig. 8 is a sectiontaken on line 8 8 of Fig. 2 showing the eccentric and band for opera-ting the several-'pump cylinders.

, In the preferred form of the invention I provide a cylinder casing 1 having an enlargement 4at the periphery, as will be understood in Fig. 4, to inclose the rimof the ily wheel2. On the periphery of this cyliiidi-ical casing l are secured a series of cylvinders 3', the longitudinal axis of which is from Fig.` 4 particularly, that the cylinders l are practically round in cross section pro'- vided with `lai'riges 4 for bolting to` the {tanges provided on the periphery of vthe clase'l which is Open at the point of attachment of the cylinder members which: closes the Said opening. rlihe ily. wheel is provided at'the periphery with a pair of' circumferential grooves' yand 6 anddepending flangesV 7 are provided on the cylinder casingextending' into: these .grooves and the inner face of each flange is provided with'several: packing members' 8 which may be'vof any desired type, preferably spring-pressed members engaging the sides of the central portion. 9 of the yfly' ywheel betweenthe two grooves. -Thetwo "iianges 7 ofV eachl cylin der provide an inner slot open through the wall of the cylinder aswill be understood frein Figs. .3 and 4, and this slot extends nearly the full length of the.y cylinder, the head end of the cylinder being unprovided with a 'slot as will be understood from they reference character lO-in the Fig. 3. Thus, at this end al closed explosion chamber is provided into which the explosive charge is initially introduced as is hereinafter shown.

This'slotfformed in the cylinder wall en- -ables the .introdi'iction of an arm therethrough in the Vformation-of the cylinder which arm niaycarry agrinding device` or apparatusat the end and the arni from the center of the said Vapparatus to the end of the y arm being of a length equal tothe radius of the curveof the lcngitiidinal axis of the cylinder and thus the cylinder vmay belground Y to curved shape las shown. In each of the cylinders is Ta piston l1 having the usual packing rings 12 thereon andbeing shaped to ride freely in the cylinder, andeach pis-- ton is provided with a curved piston vrod 13,Vv

theV free'end of which rides'in a bracket' 14 secured to the casing at one end of the cyl-A llder asA shown in Figs. 1 and 3 an-d on this rod between the bracket and the piston isa compressible spring l5, and also between the i l bracket and end of the rod is a shock ab- Srbing spring 16. 'The Spring 15. after the piston vhas been moved lby the eXplosionof a charge at the forward end, is compressed by movement of the piston to normalposition yshown in Fig. 3, the rebound or shock absorbing springl becoming effective upon thel piston Vreachi'mg its normal position..

The periphery ofthe flywheel 2 andon the portion 9 between the two circumferen-v tial grooves heretofore mentioned is notched as is indicated at 17, therebeing several lof these notches, there ynecessarily being only one series of notches about the Vperiphery and the pistons are each` provided with a latch member 18 which is to be understood f (although not here shown) as being spring- Vso Fig. 3) the said'v latch member engages oney ofthe severalnotches. -The charge then beactuated tending to force the latch mem-Y ber out 'through the slot between theanges 7 ofthe piston Aand into engagement with the'periphery of the wheel 2.andyupon the explosion taking place in the cylinder head,

(which istimed totake place at the interval when the series of notches is in about the` relationship to lthe piston as is Vshown'in exploded forces the piston outward in its cylinder asabove ystated and at the inish Vof the stroke the piston uncovers an aperture 19 in the wall thereof allowing the burned' gases to VeXliaustV freely from ythe cylinder and on relief of pressure the spring 15 returnsthepiston to normal position.- It

is to be. noted that the periphery ofthe wheel 2 iss'paced vslightly from the` outer periphery of the case 1 and in order to prevent leakage of an explosive charge through the slot between the flanges .7 and into this Y space between the 4periphery of the wheel and outer periphery ofthe casefI provide afI bar v2O carriedV by an inwardly. pro-jecting portion en the piston and extending from one flange 7 to the other flange. This is preferably a spring-pressed bar riding in contact with the face of the wheel which should be nishedfor this purpose and the bar, being rlonger thanthe notches-17 in thewheel, has no tendency toy drop into the said notches as willbe understood from FigQl. I also providev a packing member 21-atthe forward end of the cylinder and the said packing meinbers120 and 21 andr the upper members -on theranges 7 of the cylinder localize the exploding gases y and prevent dissipation 'of the force thereof about the periphery of the wheel.

As Vwill be understood from Figs. 1 and 2, each Vexplosion cylinderis provided with a pump cylinder 22 positioned radially of the casing l. i `Each of these pump cylinders" is Aprovided Vwith a valve' 23 in the head lthereof opening on the outward stroke of 28.7011 theA eccentric 29 secured to theceiiftralshaft l30 on which the wheellV is fmount-V 85 ed'and .rotation of theeccentric 29 causesV a*successive'movement of the pistonsin the pump. cylinders 22. The eccentric meinber 29` has al camp31 formed VVat zone side thereof and veach pump cylinder is pro` vided at one sidewith a'spring-controlled .Y

Avalve rod 32V having` a roller at `the inner end riding on the cam. This valve rodhas a flat portion provided with an aperture 32a and the cam is so positioned relative to the eccentric that as the piston in apuinp cylinder begins its intake stroke the conduit-33 leading from the pump vcylinder to the V eX- Y plosion cylinder is closed as willbe underf I l stood from the drawingfat the Vleftlof' lF ig. 10.0

2. Also, as the cylinder ismoved to posi-y Vtion shown atthe right of Fig. 2, the aperture 32a regi.sterswith the conduit 33 and allows the charge takeninto the pump cylinder bytheprevious movement of the `piston to be dischargedA into the. closed .eXpylo-V sion chamber formed atv the vhead Vof the piston.v By this mechanism eachpof the eX- .plosion cylinders are provided succession` with an explosive.'cliarge,'the relationship 110 stood from Figs. l and A2. .Y Y In order. that ignition of the-'charge in the cylinder shall be produced ata Vtime of the several elements being readily-under- Vwhen theV notches 17 are in position to be 11.75V

engaged by the latch member 18 of the pis-V ton, I kprovide a commutator Vwhichmay be of any approved Yform but is here shownras being a ringmember 34 indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1. andfcarryiiig a roller 35 on 120. .f

the periphery thereof, andeach ofY the valver 1 o rods 27 maybe provided with a spring con# tact member'36 adapted to be engaged by the roller 35,*the electric wiring Vbeing Vsuch'` thajaupon contact ofthe roller 35 with 1275Y the vspring member. v3G, Velectric discharge Y takes placein the head of the cylinder inf;

vdividualtojthesaid rod, therelbeing a spark plug 37 electrically connected with Vthe con- Y tactl member 36. in each instance and'rrthus 130 the' time of the'explosion .may be accurately determined by the positioning of the relation to the cams on the periphery of the Wheel 34 .and the' charge ignited at the time when the notches l17 yare in position to be engaged by the latch member 18. `It the surface speed of the wheel becomes too great preventing the latch member from engaging a notch, the surface would necessarily become decreased until the piston in its movement may engage and drive the wheel. The notches are shaped to allow the latch member 18 to draw out of the same on movement of the wheel away from the latch member in its designed direction of rotation.

I claiml. In an internal combustion engine, a rotor, a stator, a series of longitudinally curved cylinders positioned about the periphery of the stator, the cylinder wall having a slot, a piston in each of the said cylinders, means for providing and exploding an explosive charge in the cylinders to drive the pistons, the rotor having a series of notches in the periphery and each piston having a latch member adapted to engage in the notches on movement of the pistonsy under the explosive force, means for exhausting the exploded charge at the inish of the stroke of the piston, and a spring returning the piston to original position.

2. In an internal combustion engine, a rotor, a stator, a series of cylinders substantially equidistantly positioned about the periphery of the stator, each cylinder wall having a slot, the stator being correspondingly slotted, a piston in each of the said cylinders, means tor providing an explosive charge in the cylinders to drive the pistons, the rotor having a single series of notches on the periphery, a latch member on each of the pistons adapted to engage in the notches, means for firing a charge in each piston at the time the notches ot' thev rotor are positioned for engagement of the latch therein, means for exhausting the exploded charge at the completion of the movement of the piston, and a spring returning the piston to original position.

3. In an internal combustion engine, a rotor, a stator, a series of longitudinally curved cylinders concentrically positioned relative to the rotor, each cylinder wall having a slot and the stator being correspondingly slotted, a piston in each of the cylinders, a latch member for each piston extending through ythe said slot to engage the rotor, the rotor being notched, packing means for preventing dissipation of the exploded charge through the slot, means for providing an explosive charge for the cylinders in succession, and a spring compressed on outward movement of the piston adapted to return the pistons to original position.

^ 4. In an internal combustionl engine, a stationary case,- a tly wheel rotatably mounted therein, a series ofcylinders equidistantly positioned about the periphery ot the case, the cylinders beingcurved longitudinally, the axis of which is equal -to the distance ofthe center of the cylinderrom theaxisof the fly wheel, a pistony in each cylinder, va lrod connected to ,each piston, a bearing for the rod, a spring-between the bearing. and piston headv compressed lby movement of the piston outwardly in the cylinder and adapted to return the pistonto normal position, each cylinder wall and casing at the point of support of the cylinder having a peripheral slot, a spring-projected latch member on each piston extending through the notch to contact the periphery of the fly wheel, said fly wheel periphery having a series of notches adapted to be engaged by the latch member, means for supplying an explosive charge to the cylinders 1n succession, and means for igmtln'g the charge to cause outward movement of the piston when the said notches are in p0- sition to be engaged by the latch member.

5. In an internal combustion engine, a stator, a rotor therewithin, a series 0I longitudinally curved cylinders on the periphery of the stator, the axis of which is equal to the distance between thecenter of the cylinder and the center of the rotor, the cylinders each having a pair of spaced inwardly projecting flanges, circumferential grooves in the rotor in which the flange of each cylin: der rides, packing members in the said oove between the inner face of the flange and face of the groove, a stationary packing member on the stator engaging the periphery of the rotor between the flanges, a piston in each cylinder having an inwardly projecting part near the forward end, a packing member on said part engaging the periphery of the rotor between the flanges, a spring-pressed latch member connected to the piston and extending between the said flanges of the cylinders to engage the periphery of the rotor, a series of notches in lOO the periphery of the rotor with which the latch member may engage, means for providing a compressed charge for the cylint ders, means for firing the charges in succession to force the piston outward in the cylinder and drive the rotor, an exhaust port opened by the piston near the completion of its outward movement to exhaust the burned l the stator, a plston in each cylinder adapted to bendriven.Youtwizmlly/y .thereiny a,v spring placed under tensionf byf said. pistou move? ment and; adapted to: amionnatically.'y return the piston tov original position, means-- for connectingV the piston: withy the rot'or during its outward:l movement'to dmv@ theV notblg and meansv for supplyingv Vzu compressed.' eX'- plosve. charge. to thefoylnderi Consisting' of a. pump Cylinder,V a,- canbureter connected therewith, a' piston: recprocable lthe cylinder to,` provide-ia, charge and'co'mpr'ess den aunlfrwamd end: of the companion eX-1 .In testimony WhereofyI- sign spei-V Y WILLIAM liL-IHQL.4 

